Land Rover launches the All-New Discovery 5 at this year's Paris Motor Show.(Short Piece with a few pics)

• First sight of Land Rover’s new full-sized, seven-seat SUV
• Created with absolute versatility, capability and technology like no other
• Continues the Land Rover Above and Beyond journey
• New Discovery world premiere: 28^th September 2016 ahead of the Paris Motor Show

The new Discovery embodies Land Rover’s drive to go Above and Beyond, combining British desirability with an unstoppable spirit of adventure.

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s Chief Design Officer, said: “New Discovery redefines the large SUV. Land Rover’s design and engineering teams have revolutionised the Discovery DNA to create a highly desirable, extremely versatile and hugely capable premium SUV".

Nissan draws Qashqai Black Edition premium crossover using only innovative 3Doodler 3D pen technology.

• Nissan draws Qashqai Black Edition premium crossover using only innovative 3Doodler 3D pen technology
• Largest 3D pen artwork ever produced; 13.8 km of plastic strands and 800 man-hours
• Black Edition brings even greater style and sophistication to the Qashqai – Europe’s best-selling crossover
• Skilled design team used 3D pens supplied by 3Doodler

Nissan has created the world’s largest sculpture using innovative 3Doodler 3D pen technology, drawing a stunning full-sized replica of the new Qashqai Black Edition to celebrate the car’s launch.

The amazing artwork was painstakingly hand-drawn by a talented team of 3D pen artists, using pens supplied by leading brand 3Doodler. They worked with true attention to detail to ensure their creation expressed the premium design and refined sophistication of the new crossover – which is on sale now.

The Nissan Qashqai is Europe’s most popular crossover. While Nissan produces 58 every hour at its plant in Sunderland, UK, this bespoke version took 800 man-hours to complete over a three-week period. The final sculpture is 4.4 metres long and 1.6 metres high – the same as the Nissan Qashqai Black Edition.

The 3D printing industry is predicted to be worth more than $17 billion by 2020*. As a design technology, it has become increasingly common in manufacturing in recent years, including in the automotive sector.

Launching the innovation on the mass market, the 3Doodler Create 3D pen allows anyone to draw in the air to produce unique three-dimensional shapes and patterns. It works by heating solid plastic to 230°C and forcing it through a nozzle just 0.7 mm wide as it cools. Led by artist Grace Du Prez, the team of artists brought the Qashqai Black Edition to life with an astonishing 13.8 kilometres of plastic strands.

Grace Du Prez commented: “I’ve been drawing with 3Doodler’s pens for a few years now, but this is by far and away my most ambitious commission to date. It demonstrates how far 3D printing technology has come and how it can be used by anyone.”

Koji Nagano, Vice President, Nissan Design Europe, commented: “At Nissan we always encourage initiatives where design can be expressed through new and innovative technologies. This artistic team have certainly pushed the boundaries of 3D pen technology in creating an impressive sculpture of our premium Qashqai Black Edition”   

The real Nissan Qashqai Black Edition is limited to just 3,360 units across Europe to ensure its exclusivity. Based on flagship Tekna trim level, it has been enhanced further by a number

of contemporary styling features. These include smart 19-inch ‘Ibiscus’ black alloy wheels, signature Black Edition door sills, plus front and rear silver styling plates. The car is also available with Qashqai’s panoramic glass roof, creating an even more stylish and sophisticated exterior and interior ambience.

IRELAND - Audi's new small SUV, the Q2 wins in Automotive Brand Contest.

• Audi Q2 wins in Automotive Brand Contest
• Polygonal design enriches the form language of the brand
• Audi wins awards in nine additional categories

The all-new Audi Q2 is a winner in the prestigious Automotive Brand Contest: The compact SUV captured “Best of the Best” honours in the Exterior Premium Brand category.

The polygonal design of the all-new Audi Q2 adds new facets to the brand’s distinctive form language.

The highly positioned and front defining, octagonal single frame grille is a variation on the polygon theme, as are the structure of the two large, strongly contoured air inlets. The rear terminates dynamically with a long roof edge spoiler and a diffuser.

The play of polygonal shapes also creates attractive effects on the flanks of the Q2. Below the windows, the sharply drawn shoulder line divides into two contours and frame a concave surface with six corners. The concave shape of the flanks emphasises the wheels and adds to the quattro® character of the compact SUV.

“In the Audi Q2, we have developed a distinctively geometric formal language with special design characteristics specific to this model,” said Audi Head of Design Marc Lichte. “As a result the car exhibits an independent character within the Q family.”

In addition to the prize for the new Q2, Audi prevailed in nine other categories: The premium car brand was declared the winner for, among other things, the OLED rear lights in the Audi TT RS (Parts & Accessories category), for its virtual technical communication (Corporate Publishing category) and for the nationwide market introduction of the Audi A4 (Events category).

The Automotive Brand Contest is presented by the German Design Council and is one of the most prestigious design competitions in the automotive industry. The award ceremony will be held in Paris on 29 September 2016.

The Audi Q2 will launch in Ireland in Q4 2016. Pricing will be announced later this summer.

Audi announces pricing and specification for the all New Q2 compact crossover - I might even be tempted to buy this car.

Pricing confirmed for the fourth Audi Q model, channelling the family genes and technological assets with a new design direction

• Compact SUV with bold, powerful design and high level of functionality
• Available to order in the UK from August priced from £20,230, first deliveries in November
• Infotainment and assistance systems from the larger Audi models, including the optionally available virtual cockpit, head-up display and park assist
• Engines from 115PS to 190PS, quattro drive

High definition design meets highly intelligent technology in the new Audi Q2, the Vorsprung durch Technik brand’s first crossover which will join the currently three-strong Audi Q range later this summer priced from £20,230 OTR. 

Head of Audi Design Marc Lichte and his team have taken the compact SUV in a bold new styling direction intended to appeal to a younger audience, and have combined this with a quality of finish and a portfolio of connectivity, infotainment and assistance systems that will be instantly familiar from the larger Audi models.

“In the Audi Q2 we have developed a distinctively geometric form language with model-specific design characteristics. The car exhibits an independent character within the Q family,” says Lichte.

Rugged look

The result is a powerful SUV that shows a lot of vertices and edges. At the front, a strong image is created by the high-mounted Singleframe grille in octagonal design as well as the large air inlets. 

Especially eye-catching is the low roof that descends and merges into the C-pillars with colour offset blades. The rear body terminates in a dynamic way with a long roof spoiler and a diffuser that has an underbody-protection look.

In profile, the high shoulder line is especially eye-catching as are the concave flanks in the door area. The latter emphasise the wheel housings and thereby the quattro character of the compact SUV. The vehicle measures 1.51 metres tall and 1.79 metres wide. The overhangs are short with a vehicle length of 4.19 metres and a wheelbase of 2.60 metres.

Technology from further up the range

Along with the optional Audi virtual cockpit and the head-up display, the driver assistance systems for the Audi Q2 also come from the larger Audi models – including the Audi pre sense front with pedestrian recognition that is standard. 

The system recognises critical situations with other vehicles as well as pedestrians crossing in front of the vehicle, and if necessary it can initiate hard braking – to a standstill at low speeds. 

Other systems in the line-up: adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go function, traffic jam assist, the lane-departure warning system Audi side assist, the lane-keeping assistant Audi active lane assist, traffic sign recognition and rear cross-traffic assist.

Highly connected

The Q2 is equipped with a standard MMI screen that is positioned high on the instrument panel. The infotainment system can be operated by a rotary/push-button control and two buttons on the centre tunnel. When MMI navigation plus with MMI touch is ordered, the user also gets a touchpad on the central control element. 

In addition, the system can be conveniently controlled by natural language operation and the integrated MMI search. Furthermore, customers can use MMI touch to query the online services of Audi connect. 

The flat rate data plan required for this is included thanks to the SIM card (embedded SIM) that is permanently installed in the car. It also permits roaming in most European countries. Mobile phones with iOS and Android operating systems are integrated into the car via the standard Audi smartphone interface. 

The free Audi MMI connect app enables online media streaming and transfer of a calendar from a smartphone to the MMI. 

The app for iOS operating systems also has the myAudi destinations function. It makes it possible to send the data of a desired navigation destination from any app to the MMI navigation plus system. The system then uses it for navigation.

Simply functional

The Q2 fulfils the fundamental expectations of an SUV with a high entry, good visibility and a large luggage compartment (405 to 1,050 litres of capacity), yet the driver’s seat position is low in relation to the steering wheel as in an Audi saloon. 

Optional practical solutions are available such as a power tailgate and a three-way split rear bench backrest with cargo through-loading.

Individual customisation

The Audi Q2 is as individual as its drivers – inside and out. Many equipment packages, exterior colours and expressive colours for interior trim and seat upholstery allow plenty of creative space for personal configuration. 

One option is the LED lighting package advanced, in which the interior is staged in a particularly attractive way with illuminated trim elements. Newly designed 16-inch alloy wheels are fitted as standard, and can be optionally increased to 19 inches upon request.  

Drivetrain and chassis

The Q2 is launching in the UK with an initial choice of two four-cylinder engines - the 1.6 TDI with 115PS and the Cylinder-on-Demand 1.4 TFSI with 150PS. A three-cylinder 1.0 TFSI with 115PS and a four-cylinder 2.0 TDI with 150PS will become available later in the year. 

As an alternative to the six-speed manual transmission, Audi will also offer the S tronic dual clutch transmission with seven speeds for all engines bar the 1.0 TFSI (standard for the 2.0 TDI). From mid-2017 a 2.0 TFSI petrol engine allied exclusively to quattro all-wheel-drive and S tronic transmission will be introduced, and at that point it will also be possible to combine the 150PS TDI and TFSI engines with quattro drive.

Installed at the rear on the front-wheel drive versions is a semi-independent suspension, while the quattro models have a four-link suspension. Progressive steering is standard in all versions. 

It varies the steering gear ratio as a function of the steering input; the ratio is made more direct with large steering movements. Adaptive dampers are available as an option, as is the Audi drive select system with which drivers can set an individual characteristic for their Q2.

Three generously equipped specification levels

Three specification levels are available from launch on the new Q2, with entry-level SE versions benefitting from a raft of features as standard. Among them is the Audi smartphone interface, which supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto displayed via the MMI screen once a phone is plugged in via USB. 

A Bluetooth interface is also standard, as is the MMI radio plus with MMI controller and heated, electrically adjustable exterior mirrors. Inlays can be chosen in either white or orange.

For an additional £1,550, Sport models gain 17-inch alloy wheels (up from 16 inches on SE), Audi drive select with five operational modes, cruise control, light and rain sensors and sport seats upholstered in cloth. SD-card based MMI navigation is displayed via the seven-inch central screen and includes a three-month trial unlocking the Audi connect portfolio. 

Red or yellow inlays can be selected for the interior, while bumpers can be specified in Manhattan grey or matching body colour depending on preference.

Stand-out features on S line models – priced at £2,250 above Sport – include the hallmark front, side and rear styling enhancements, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps with LED rear lights and dynamic sweeping rear indicators, LED interior lighting, inlays finished in brushed aluminium and front sport seats upholstered in cloth/leather upholstery with S embossing on the backrests. 

A multi-function perforated leather steering wheel is also standard, featuring grey contrasting stitching and S line badging.

An exclusive Q2 design feature is the contrasting blade on the C-pillars. On SE it is finished in Manhattan grey, in Ice silver on Sport and matt Titanium grey for S line models. All of these colours are optionally interchangeable and Ibis white is also separately available.

Model	Specification	Transmission	OTR pricing
Q2 1.0 TFSI (115PS)*	SE	6-speed manual	£20,230
Q2 1.0 TFSI (115PS)*	Sport	6-speed manual	£21,780
Q2 1.4 TFSI CoD (150PS)*	SE	6-speed manual	£22,380
		7-speed S tronic	£23,930
Q2 1.4 TFSI CoD (150PS)	Sport	6-speed manual	£23,930
		7-speed S tronic	£25,480
Q2 1.4 TFSI CoD (150PS)	S line	6-speed manual	£26,180
		7-speed S tronic	£27,730
Q2 1.6 TDI (115PS)	SE	6-speed manual	£22,480
		7-speed S tronic	£24,030
Q2 1.6 TDI (115PS)	Sport	6-speed manual	£24,030
		7-speed S tronic	£25,580
Q2 1.6 TDI (115PS)	S line	6-speed manual	£26,280
		7-speed S tronic	£27,830
Q2 2.0 TDI (150PS)*	Sport	7-speed S tronic	£26,930
Q2 2.0 TDI (150PS)*	S line	7-speed S tronic	£29,180
Q2 2.0 TDI quattro (150PS)*	Sport	7-speed S tronic	£28,360
Q2 2.0 TDI quattro (150PS)*	S line	7-speed S tronic	£30,610

*Available later in the year